Wednesday, 5 August 2009

Today is dull and windy - rain in the air, occasionally falling to the ground. Otherwise, not very Augusty. The wind is blowing directly in the door of the loomshed which means I have to keep it closed or else everything takes flight. However, enough of the griping, on with the show....

Remember the little blonde naked neck from the last but one hatch? Well, its a grey marbled effect now and very elegant in all respects. It has been re-christened Meryl so if it turns out to be a cockerel the name will still fit. Though still very small it is getting on nicely and is out and about during the day with its hatch mate and its mum.

Humbug was out briefly in the run yesterday when the sun was shining but today is firmly tucked beneath its mums wing in the warm.

The alpaca samples arrived yesterday and I couldn't resist spinning them up. Excellent - am really going to enjoy this project. Trying to borrow a little niddy-noddy so I can hank them up and wash them. Guess I really ought to buy one for myself.

Finished a hank of Daisy yesterday. Nice and chunky but really needs carding to get a more regular effect, so this morning I have the drum carder out and am busy carding up Daisy. Separating the not-so-good from the good sections so the not-so-goods can also be spun and dyed and the white left white if that's what is required.

Here's a batt that's gone through the carder once. Will probably put it through 2 or 3 times to get a good blend going.

Last evening when I took the dogs out for their final walk before bed there were a bunch of our Hebridean sheep on the side of the road sniggering at me - they know I'm on my own this week and are determined to show me up by breaking out of their field at every opportunity! I sent Bramble after them to put them down the croft away from the houses, and this morning I couldn't see them. It would be far too much to hope that they have gone back in the field by themselves - they are probably down at our neighbours pig enclosure doing leg-knitting with her electric fencing again!